Timberking 1400 issues

pinehillstacker · August 01, 2022, 12:06:35 PM

Hi all, looking for some guidance on my Timberking 1400 mill. Was trying to saw some old telephone poles. I couldn't make it more than 6-8' into a pass and my blade would just all of a sudden start diving down. I got it stopped every time, but it still dove 1/8-1/4" each time. I would start the cut again, and the same thing would happen. I checked each time to make sure I didn't hit metal and found none. I was using a new blade and my feed speed was about 3 feet per minute, going pretty slow. When I finally did make it to the end of a pass, it was starting to smoke, and I noticed the drive wheel bearing and drive side roller bearing were getting hot. Is this as simple as just needing some new bearings, or is something else going on here?

For some background info, I replaced the idle side bearing this spring, and reset my tracking, roller bearings, etc. It worked fine after that for maybe 2000 bf of lumber. Before this past weekend, the mill set for a month not used because I was away at the National Guard. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. Looking for some solutions.

On another note, I've had the mill for 10 years, have been using it as a side business for the last 3 or 4 years. In all that time, I'd say I've sawn 30mbf with it. Overall, not happy with the mill. Most days, if I saw 8 hours I can get about 300bf. I feel like I should be able to do better with this mill. Also seems to be a lot of maintenance for all the more production I get.

Thanks in advance for your help, always get good info from this forum!

ladylake · August 01, 2022, 12:41:48 PM

It sounds like you need a complete alignment with 1/4 down pressure. If your bearings are bad it's not going to saw straight and most likely will throw the blade .. These mills once aligned good stay in alignment a long time and saw good. Steve

Magicman · August 01, 2022, 01:18:29 PM

Quote from: pinehillstacker on August 01, 2022, 12:06:35 PMWas trying to saw some old telephone poles

You did not mention whether the poles were creosote treated and whether there was any buildup on the blade? Your description certainly sounded like the case. Creosote buildup can/will cause the blade to dive and also can actually grab and almost stop the blade which could explain the smoking.

Put a new blade on and saw a log before your start making any changes to the sawmill.

Thank You for your service to our USA.

EDIT: I Do Not and Will Not saw treated utility poles.

jpassardi · August 01, 2022, 01:33:16 PM

Not to sound like a health and safety nerd but be mindful of the risks of handling/inhaling creosote.
Yes, and thank you for your service to Lady Liberty.

1938farmall · August 01, 2022, 02:51:29 PM

tried sawing creosote poles once on my tk1600 - did the same as yours. completely wrecked a good blade. never again!

barbender · August 01, 2022, 04:24:52 PM

Your problem is the telephone poles you are sawing. They dull your blade very quickly, you can't blame the mill for that.

doc henderson · August 01, 2022, 06:37:38 PM

same thing happens sawing a trunk with dirt in the cervices of the flare. can barely make it 4 feet. for build up, you need to clean the blade and try diesel fuel for lube. if it is dull, may need a carbide tipped blade. As others have said, it may not be worth sawing. certainly, if this is a side job, may need to revisit the price if you choose to continue. when it dives, the blade will break at 1 inch. do not ask me how I know!

Nebraska · August 01, 2022, 07:42:41 PM

Ditto on the diesel fuel lube, it dissolves the creosote. It was always what dad wiped the fence tools off with if we were fencing with new posts...(actually he probably used gasoline as well but that won't do for blade lube)

Do wear a mask and gloves when sawing it as it is nasty.

Larry · August 01, 2022, 10:03:57 PM

Quote from: Magicman on August 01, 2022, 01:18:29 PMYou did not mention whether the poles were creosote treated and whether there was any buildup on the blade? Your description certainly sounded like the case. Creosote buildup can/will cause the blade to dive and also can actually grab and almost stop the blade which could explain the smoking.

I think your answer is right their. To get around the creosote you need lots of set on the band, like .030 per side. Heat is what caused the creosote to liquefy and grab the band so that's why the heavy set helps. Sawing as fast as possible also helps for the same reason. The part of the pole that was in the ground will always saw differently than the part above ground which also causes problems. I have sawn lots of poles but no longer do as they are just to nasty.

There is also another problem. 300 board foot in a 8 hour day is terrible production. I think the mill is very much capable of at least double that. Lots of problems could be the reason. Reaching out to a local sawyer with more experience could be a quick fix.

pinehillstacker · August 02, 2022, 07:08:34 AM

Thanks for the responses everyone. They are creosoted poles this time. I'm going to try to switch the lube to diesel and see if I can get through the order. I don't saw a ton of treated poles (try to avoid it), but I've done it before without quite so many issues. Maybe these ones just have a higher creosote content. Like many of you have said, I should just learn the no word and quit taking orders for them.

WDH · August 02, 2022, 08:21:08 AM

Some people want you to do things that will essentially tear up your equipment. It is not worth it. I have learned that the hard way.

Southside · August 02, 2022, 12:12:52 PM

They keep coming back to you because you are the only one who didn't say no. Seriously I have never heard of someone sawing creasote poles more than one time.

pinehillstacker · August 02, 2022, 07:28:06 PM

Thanks everyone for the tip on the diesel fuel, had some old kerosene sitting around that did the trick, kept the blade clean so I could finish the order. No issues once I switched the lube.

Magicman · August 02, 2022, 10:16:03 PM

Thanks for the followup and letting us know that your problem was identified and solved. 8)

Gere Flewelling · August 03, 2022, 01:23:24 PM

I find it interesting that there are a lot of opinions about sawing old utility poles. I have never sawed any nor do I intend to. But in Northern Maine where my family comes from and my youngest son has moved back to, sawing old utility poles is common place and appears to have been that way for some time. My cousin who recently retired from potato farming has used timbers cut out of poles in the foundations of potato houses for years. Last year my son helped him replace rotted sills under his camp on Cross Lake utilizing re-sawn utility poles. A brother-in-law of his has an old Hudson Oscar manual mill that they saw them on. I have seen the mill once where it is set up out on the back 40 of his potato field in a open shed that has a deer hunting cupola in the top of it. I talked with the guy doing the sawing last spring when I was up there. He says it's no big deal and that it is much less expensive than buying PT at the lumber yards. He said a lot of the poles he gets are old high tension poles made of cedar. They appear to only have been treated an inch or two in. He says I just cut the treated part off with the slabs. He says he has had as big as 30" dia. poles on his mill and they make great lumber.
I am not saying he is right to be sawing utility poles, but he is older than me by a few years and seems to be as healthy as can be. Possibly it is the type of treatment they use on poles up there that makes them less nasty to saw. My boy did say that the ones they put under the camp would burn you if you weren't wearing long sleeve shirts and gloves. He was glad when that project was done and that they did it late in the fall.